41 cities bid to host FIFA 2026 World Cup games

Forty-one cities in Canada, Mexico and the
United States have submitted bids to serve
as host cities for the 2026 World Cup,
officials said Thursday.

The joint North American bid is seen as the
favourite for 2026, with only one other bid
– Morocco – so far in the running for the
tournament.

The list of 41 cities has been finalised after
three cities invited to submit bids – San
Diego, Green Bay and Calgary – failed to do
so.

The US-Mexico-Canada World Cup bid will
submit between 20-25 venues in its final
bid to FIFA, with 12 locations likely to be
chosen as host cities for the tournament,
which will be the first to use FIFA’s
expanded 48-team format.

“We’re thrilled with the submissions that
we have received, especially each city’s
commitment to innovation and
sustainability,” the bid committee’s
executive director John Kristick said.

Cities not hosting games could be chosen as
other venues needed for the tournament,
such as team base camps, a statement said.
Bid officials have said 60 of the
tournament’s matches would be staged in
the United States, with Canada and Mexico
hosting 10 games each.

The United States will host all knockout
games from the quarter-finals onwards.
Stadiums under consideration in the United
States include several venues used in the
1994 World Cup, including the Pasadena
Rose Bowl.

Other venues include the new Los Angeles
Stadium, and the 105,000-capacity AT&T
Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the
Dallas Cowboys.